Muskingum faculty members honored

Published: September 13, 2010 6:37 AM

NEW CONCORD — At Muskingum University's Convocation, held Aug. 31 on the campus, three faculty members were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The awards were presented by Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Paul F. Reichardt.

The William Oxley Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Assistant Professor of Religion Dr. Melissa S. Conroy. This award is named in honor of an alumnus whose career combined teaching, ministry and service as president of Miami University and The Ohio State University.

Dr. Reichardt said of Dr. Conroy, “Dr. Conroy distinguishes herself by the excellence of the classes she teaches and by the range of her teaching abilities. She employs innovative and creative strategies in the classroom, including film and other art forms, on-line learning and the creation of Socrates Cafes to bring alive the subjects she teaches. It is significant that the quality of her teaching concepts and strategies has been recognized by support from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion at Wabash College in Indiana.”

Dr. Conroy joined the faculty in 2004. She earned her both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Toronto and her doctoral degree from Syracuse University.

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The William Rainey Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship was granted to Associate Professor of Journalism Dr. Vivian Wagner. This award is named for an alumnus who was a renowned scholar, educator and the founder and first president of the University of Chicago.

Dr. Reichardt said, “Dr. Wagner’s record of publications is impressive, both for its volume and its diversity, with more than 40 articles on topics ranging from technology and food to music and crafts. Her most recent publication, a work of creative non-fiction, describes her immersion in the world of fiddle playing and the culture surrounding this music. Her accomplishments as a published scholar provide students in the journalism program she directs with a model of devotion to the craft of writing.”

Dr. Wagner joined the faculty in 2003. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, her master’s degree from The Ohio State University and her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The Cora I. Orr Faculty Service Award was bestowed upon Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Colleen M. Stevenson. It is named in honor of a Muskingum faculty member and administrator who served the college with devotion and distinction for four decades.

Of Dr. Stevenson’s achievements at the university, Dr. Reichardt said, “Dr. Stevenson has developed the child and family studies major at Muskingum into an exemplary interdisciplinary program. In addition to managing its curriculum and its advising majors, Dr. Stevenson supervises an expansive network of internships and field experiences, both at Muskingum’s Center for Child Development and in child care organizations located throughout east central Ohio. As a result, the child and family studies program produces graduates who are well-prepared for successful careers with agencies which serve the needs of children, adolescents and their families.”

Dr. Stevenson joined the faculty in 1998. She earned her both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her doctoral degree from Kent State University.